U.Va.
women's soccer coach April Heinrichs has become the first woman
named as head coach of the U.S. women's national team.

A
former star player and captain on the national team, Heinrichs,
35, served as an assistant coach on both the 1995 Women's World
Cup Team and during the 1996 Olympics, when the U.S. won the first-ever
gold medal for women's soccer.

Heinrichs
will leave her job at U.Va., where she compiled a 52-24-10 record
and four NCAA Tournament appearances in four seasons. Prior to
moving here, she was the head women's soccer coach at Maryland
and holds a 116-70-18 overall college record. Heinrichs also coached
the U.S. under-16 national team for the past three years.

Another
former U.Va. coach, Bruce Arena, is the head coach of the U.S.
men's soccer team.